Anna returned to the meadow the next day. She looked out across the tall grassy field, afraid to move forward. What if none of this was real. She had this feeling once before when she was ten. She had been flying at night in her dream, just above the treetops and the houses that lined her street. Her movement was effortless as she bobbed and weaved through the landscape at a dizzying speed. Then she woke up, stuck halfway between sleep and awareness, still believing she could fly but realizing with a hollow feeling that her power of flight was quickly fading away.
She had that gnawing feeling again as she stood alone in the meadow by the lake. She feared the whole thing had been a dream. There was no woman from the future, no flying robots.
Anna took a step forward. Then another. Each step faster and more desperate until she was in a half run. No. This isn’t right. It wasn’t this far away, was it? Before she could answer, she slammed hard into the invisible barrier protecting Mara’s sanctuary.
Ooof!
The air was knocked out of Anna’s lungs as she bounced off the wall and fell straight on her backside. A repeat performance from yesterday.
“You might want to try knocking without using your head next time.” Mara stood ten feet away, her arms folded. She made no attempt to hide her amusement.
“You saw the whole thing. Why didn’t you try and stop me?” Anna said as she brushed off the dirt patches on her elbows.
“I figured the wall would stop you soon enough,” Mara smiled. “If you’re ready to begin, follow me.”
Anna felt a strange sense of vertigo as she passed through the invisible barrier to Mara’s sanctuary. She followed Mara for several steps, expecting her to turn towards her house. But, Mara headed out across a perfectly manicured lawn to the lakeshore instead. One chair and a metal table had been set up in the grass near the water’s edge. On top of the table rested a pair of tennis shoes. A large willow fluttered in the warm afternoon breeze just feet away.
Mara turned to see Anna smiling from ear to ear. Her eyes were open wide.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Mara asked.
“Because you’re real,” Anna said. “And, I’m not crazy.”
“I’m not so sure about that second part. And, please stop looking at me that way. You’re making me feel uncomfortable.”
Mara sat down with her back to the lake.
“Where do I sit?” Anna asked.
“You don’t,” Mara said. “First things first. I want you to stand right where you are with your eyes closed.”
“Is this a trick?”
Mara turned her head to the side and sighed impatiently.
“Ok. Ok. I’m shutting my eyes,” Anna closed her eyes and put her hands out for balance. “Now what?”
“Now, lift your right foot off the ground,” Mara directed.
Anna lifted her right leg. Ten seconds ticked by and she could feel herself start to lean to the side. She pinwheeled her arms for a couple of more seconds before dropping her right foot to the ground.
“Fifteen seconds,” Mara looked unimpressed. “Really?”
Anna opened one eye. “Is that bad?”
“So much for the balance test. On to the next,” Mara said.
“Test? You didn’t tell me I was going to be tested. What’s me standing on one foot have to do with anything?” Anna asked, annoyed.
“You’ll see,” Mara said. “Can we continue?”
Anna frowned, but nodded her head anyway.
“Can you do a plank?” Mara asked.
“Sure. That’s like that push up thing where you hold yourself up on your elbows, right?” Anna said.
Mara nodded yes.
“You want me to do one right now?”
“Please.”
Anna lowered herself down onto the grass and sprawled out in a pushup position, her elbows just under her shoulder and her body perfectly straight just inches off the ground. The grass was cool on her forearms.
“Like this?” Anna asked.
“Like that. Now hold it as long as you can,” Mara said. “The clock is ticking.”
One minute in and Anna’s stomach began to burn.
“What is this... supposed to…tell you?” Anna grunted.
“It’s easier if you don’t talk,” Mara said.
Two and a half minutes in and Anna could feel the muscles in her stomach start to cramp. Her shoulders burned. Four minutes in and sweat poured down her face, down her nose, to plop on the grass just beneath her face. She collapsed on her stomach with a groan.
“Ow,” Anna moaned. “That hurt.”
“Hmmm,” Mara frowned.
“Are we through yet?” Anna asked. She rolled over on her side and propped herself up on one elbow.
“Oh, no. We’re just beginning,” Mara shook her head. “So, let’s recap. You have no balance and limited core strength. And based upon our brief interactions, I doubt you possess the requisite focus and concentration.”
“Are you always like this?” Anna asked as she picked herself up off the ground.
“If you mean truthful, then yes. It’s not just me. SID has also been observing you from the house and has come to the same conclusion.”
“And, what is that?” Anna asked.
“You’re not entirely hopeless, but you’re close.”
“Thanks for the words of encouragement, SID!” Anna shouted up towards the house.
“We’re not here to make you feel good, Anna. We’re here to prepare you. You volunteered, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s get started,” Mara pointed to the pair of white sneakers on the table. “Do you know what these are?”
“Yeah, of course. Those are sneakers. What are they for?” Anna asked.
“For you. I chose an acceptable shoe style from your era. And, I estimate your feet are 24 centimeters in length. The shoes will easily adjust themselves even if the fit isn’t perfect.”
“Cool!” Anna kicked off her own shoes and shoved them in her backpack before grabbing the sneakers on the table. “Are these made of that material you showed me yesterday?”
Mara nodded. She smiled at Anna’s enthusiasm in spite of herself.
Anna slipped the shoes on with ease. The lining inside moved like a living thing as the shoe reshaped itself around her foot. She jumped.
“That felt weird,” Anna giggled. Then her expression changed to mild surprise as she began bouncing up and down to test out her new shoes. “Wow, are these comfortable. I feel like I’m floating.”
“That’s the general idea.”
It took a second for Anna to catch on. She looked at her shoes, then up at Mara. Her mouth dropped. “You mean these are…?”
“Anti-gravity boots? Yes.”
“No way!” Anna yelped. “How do you turn them on?”
“You won’t be turning on anything, not until you’re fully prepared. Until then, I will do the driving,” Mara said. “Ready?”
“For…?”
Before Anna could finish her question she felt her feet slip from under her as if she just stepped onto ice. She looked down and saw an inch of empty space between herself and the ground.
“We have lift-off,” Mara laughed. “Try to focus on your core. It’ll help keep your feet from sliding.”
Mara raised the angle of her hand slightly and Anna rose another foot off the ground. Like a toddler on roller skates, Anna spun her arms in circles. Her legs pinwheeled back and forth. She quickly transitioned from surprise, to fear, to wonder. A combination of feelings that had her head spinning and her body shaking in uncontrollable giggles.
“Higher, higher!” Anna laughed.
Mara raised her hand again and Anna quickly shot up seven feet off the ground. She wasn’t ready for the acceleration. Her stomach flipped, like a steep drop on a rollercoaster, and she lost control of her feet. She floated in mid-air, her legs spread out in a perfect split.
“Whoa,” Anna laughed.
“Remember your core.”
Anna tried to regain her balance but she had nothing to hold on to except empty space. There was a moment of stillness. The breeze stopped. She could hear her heartbeat. Then she toppled straight forward, gaining speed like a falling tree. The ground rushed towards her. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth for impact, but she felt nothing but wind through her hair.
Slowly, Anna opened her eyes only to find herself hanging upside down. Her body swung gently back and forth like a pendulum. She looked up into the bright blue sky and saw her feet were still snug in their anti-gravity shoes, and those shoes still floated seven feet above the ground.
“I told you to use your core,” Mara said.
“Yeah, I heard that. Now, how do I get myself right side up?” Anna asked as she reached for her shoes.
“I’ll let you figure that out,” Mara smiled.
Anna rolled her eyes. She was going to protest again but realized it would do no good. She struggled and grunted to pull herself up. She pulled on her pant leg. She bent her knees and kicked her feet back and forth, only to flop back and float helplessly above the ground.
“Can I get a little help here?” Anna finally gave in. The blood was starting to rush to her head.
“No. You’re doing just fine,” Mara gave an enthusiastic thumbs up.
The afternoon breeze picked up and Anna felt herself begin to drift. You’ve got to be kidding me. She looked around for something to grab onto. She stretched her hands out towards the grass, but her fingertips were still inches away. Like a balloon lazily drifting on a summer afternoon, the wind slowly inched Anna across the lawn and out towards the water.
“Will you help me, please!” Anna cried out.
Mara bit her lip to keep from laughing. She walked casually past Anna and cut her off before she reached the water’s surface. She looked down at Anna for a moment and grabbed Anna’s legs. Instead of pulling her up, Mara gently pushed Anna in the opposite direction towards the house.
“Come on! Are you serious?” Anna shouted. She was spinning now. A leaf adrift in a stream. “Will you please get me down from here?”
Mara kept pace with Anna as she floated towards the house. “So, what have we learned from our first lesson today?”
Anna folded her arms in resignation and looked up as she spun slowly in circles. “That you have a warped sense of humor.”
“Besides that.”
Anna sighed. “Anti-gravity boots are really hard to use.”
“You’re getting warmer,” Mara said.
“Ok, ok. I get it. I have a lot of training to do,” Anna said.
“And…?”
“And, I have to listen to everything you tell me to do,” Anna said.
“Very good.”
“Now can you get me down?”
“Of course.”
Mara clicked an invisible button on her wrist and Anna plummeted towards the ground. She reached her hands out just in time, tucked into a ball and rolled easily back onto her feet.
“Not bad. That was a decent tuck and roll,” Mara commended. “Maybe there’s hope for you after all.”
“Okay, what torture do you have planned for me next?”
Mara reached into a small pouch attached to her belt and pulled out what looked like a diamond shaped bandage, only transparent.
“Give me your hands,” Mara asked.
Anna looked at her suspiciously.
“Give me your hands. I promise it won’t hurt. It's just a communications device,” Mara stepped forward.
“What do you call it?” Anna stepped back.
“An iCom,” Mara took another step forward.
“iCom? That’s kind of lame,” Anna folded her arms. “I figured the future would have cooler product names.”
“You’re stalling. Give me your arm.”
Anna shrugged and held her hands out. Mara took Anna’s left hand and gently rolled the iCom out as if she were applying a bandage. It felt sticky and cold, but once it adhered to her skin, it was completely invisible. She did the same to the right wrist.
“Hey. Where did they go?” Anna held the back of her hand up towards the sun.
“They’re still there. Just no one can see it.”
“But, if they’re invisible. Where are the controls? How do I use it? ” Anna asked.
“You don’t. I communicate with you and only as needed,” Mara said.
“So I’ll see you tomorrow?” Anna asked.
“No.”
“Then when?”
“When you finish your training,” Mara said.
“Whe…” Anna started.
“Ah, ah, ah,” Mara cut her off with an outstretched hand. “No more questions. I recommend you go home and get some rest for now. You’re going to need it. Tomorrow morning, your training starts. Wait for my call.”
“Wake up, Anna.”
Anna opened a single eye. The other was glued shut with sleep. Her bedroom was dark and empty. The only light came from the stars outside her window. But, she’d heard something, someone.
Another weird dream, Anna thought.
“I can see you.”
The voice returned, close and clear as if someone were whispering in her ear. Anna shot up in bed, her pulse racing. She strained her eyes in the darkness in search of the source.
“Who is it?”
“I am your conscience and we need to have a word.”
Anna suddenly recognized the voice. “Very funny, Mara. Where are you?”
“Look down at your wrist.”
Mara’s voice was clear and bright. Anna glanced down at her iCom. The transparent diamond that covered the back of her left hand was glowing blue.
“Ugh,” Anna groaned. “What time is it?”
A holographic time display flashed bright blue numbers just above her wrist. 4:22 AM.
“Really?” Anna sighed. “I thought you said morning.”
“The sun is 18 degrees below the horizon at this very moment. That makes it the official beginning of morning. So, time to get up.”
“For what?” Anna yawned.
“For your first real day of training. I’ve provided a course for you to run. Just follow the map on your iCom. I’ll go easy on you today. Five miles in fifty minutes. That’ll give us plenty of time to work on your core and discuss physics before school.”
A 3D topographic map of the valley appeared just above Anna's hand — a running trail outlined in a faint blue light.
“Are you serious? You want me to run outside in the dark?”
“You’d better get used to it. The dark is where you’ll be doing most of your reconnaissance.”
Anna sighed heavily and rolled out of bed. She tossed on a pair of shorts, a sweatshirt and tied her hair back with a scrunchie.
“Can I use my anti-gravity shoes at least?” Anna asked. “They’re the most comfortable thing I own.”
“Of course. That’s why I gave them to you.”
Anna walked quietly down the steps, past Herbie sleeping in the corner, and then out the front screen door. The air outside was cold and motionless, the world completely still. In the faint starlight, she could see her breath, an ice cloud; a sign the temperature was around 45 degrees on this cold spring morning. She jumped back and forth on the balls of her feet and swung her arms to get warm.
“Anna?”
“Yes?” Anna kept bouncing.
“Look up.”
Anna stopped bouncing and looked up into the night sky to be greeted by a cathedral of lights. She had never been outside this early in the morning, alone and in silence, to see this view of the universe.
“Wow. The Milky Way.”
“Beautiful, isn’t it? I’m watching it right now, too.”
“Yeah. It feels like the whole sky is moving.”
“It is. Everything in the universe is moving, relative to everything else. Everything except you. So get moving.” Mara laughed. “Just follow the blue line on your map. I’ll be with you the entire way.”
“Whether I like it or not, right?” Anna said under her breath, then took off in a fast trot following the blue line down the dirt road and into the darkness.